Process of controlling the luster of fabrics



Patented May 31, 1932 stares rnrs Price PROCESS OF CONTROLLING LUSTER OIE FABRICS No Drawing.

This invention relates to the treatment of fabrics or threads of artificial silk made in part or in whole of plastic cellulose compounds or organic derivatives of cellulose particularly organic esters of cellulose, such as cellulose formats, cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate and cellulose propionate, or organic ethers of cellulose such as, methyl cellulose or ethyl cellulose, so as to control the lustre or sheen of said fabrics or threads.

An object of my invention is to provide a process whereby the lustre of fabrics or threads constituted as above set forth may be increased. Other objects of my invention appear from the following detailed description.

It has been found that when threads or fabrics made in part at least of plastic cellulose compounds or organic derivatives of cellulose such as the organic cellulose esters or cellulose others, are ironed or calendered while damp or wet by means of ironing or calendering means which are suliici-ently hot, that is preferably above 100 C. the lustre 5 of the fabrics or threads is increased. Care should be taken that the temperature of the iron be not high enough to melt the material. If such fabrics or threads made of the material above set forth, are calendered in the dry condition, no such increase in lustre results. Therefore, by controlling the amount of moisture present in the fabrics or threads that are treated, the degree of the increase of lustre may be controlled anywhere from the minimum or zero increase resulting when dry fabrics or threads are treated to the maximum increase resulting when quite damp or wet material is treated.

Moreover it has been found that when damp fabrics or threads made of the material above set forth, are ironed or calendered by an iron or calender maintained at a moderate temperature, say below 100 C.,

7 no increase of lustre results. Therefore, by

' maintaining a temperature of the iron or calender anywhere below a limit of 100 C. where no increase of lustre results and the maximum temperature of ust below the melting or fusion point of the material when maximum increase of lustre results, any do Application filed August 4, 1927. Serial No. 210,732.

gree of increase of lustre between the two points may be obtained.

This invention may be applied for increasing-the lustre of fabrics or threads constituted as above set forth whether the same has beenpreviously delustred-or not.

One application of my invention is in the relustring of fabrics 0r threads which'have been delustred at'some stage in its previous treatment, such as" dyeing, finishing, etc. Other instances when cellulose acetate artificial silk,especially dry-spun cellulose acetate artificial silk made from cellulose acetate solutions of relatively low concentration, is exposed to the action of certain agencies,sucl1 as hot or boiling solutions of acids or acid salts, or hot water, and particularly water at from about 90 C. to the boiling point,-o1 moist steam, the cellulose acetate artificial silk can lose its naturally high lustre to a greater or less extent andbecome converted into a more or less lustreless condition. Some qualities of cellulose acetate artificial silk are much more resistant than others to delustring agencies, this resistance varying with the quality of the cellulose acetate of which the threads or films are made and also with the concentration of the cellulose acetate solu-- tions used for spinning the same. In particular, threads or films made with very high quality cellulose acetates substantially unclegraded in the cellulose molecule are especially resistant to delustring agencies. Further, artificial silks spun from cellulose acetate solu tions of high concentrations,-e. g.- containing from 'to or percent or more cellulose acetate, are not so liable to become delustred as those producedfrom less concentrated solutions containing'for example under about 10 percent or up'to about 16 or 18 percent of cellulose acetate. 'Delustring, however, may occur even with very resistant qualities of cellulose acetate artificial silk under prolonged or especially intensive action of the agencies mentioned above. I

Accordingto my invention the fabrics or threads that have become delustred through any-of the agencies as above. set foithare relustred to any desired extent by the application of the principles setforthabove. That is, so delustred fabrics or threads are dampened and then subjected to the action of an iron or calender heated to such temperature as will produce the desired lustre or sheen. Or else they may be dampened with such amount of water as will produce the desired lust-re or sheen and then ironed or calendered by any suitable means maintained at elevated temperature.

Another application of this invention is to obtain a fabric or thread of desired lustre by the use of the principles set forth above, without entirely depending on any other means. As is well known, various lustres are imparted to fabrics by variations in the weave and/or by variations in the degree of twist of the yarns. This dependence upon weave or twist can be obviated toa great extent at least by treating the fabrics or threads in the following manner. The fabrics or threads are either completely delustred in any known manner, or delustred below the desired lustre. The so delustred fabrics or threads are then subjected to a relustring process by dampening the fabrics or threads and then ironing or calendering them with a hot iron or calender. The amount of lustre or sheen imparted to the fabrics or threads is controlled either by the amount of moisture added to the fabrics or threads or by the temperature of the iron or calender, or by variations of both these factors, as fully explained above.

Another application of my invention is for the production of mottled or printed effects due to difference of lustre of the surface of the fabric. This can be done by wetting those parts of the delustred fabric that are to be relustred while keeping the rest of the fabric dry. The so partially wetted fabric is then ironed with a hot ironor calender maintained at above 100 C. as above set forth. The parts of the fabric that have been wetted are thus relustred while the surface of the dry parts are unaffected.

In the above processes any ironing or calendering means such as heated flat surfaces or heated rolls may be employed.

The fabrics or threads to be treated according to my invention need not necessarily be composed entirely of the plastic cellulose compounds or the organic cellulose derivatives set forth but may be mixed or union fabrics or threads containing such cellulose compounds or derivatives as one of the constituents. Examples of such mixed fabrics or threads are mixed cellulose acetate and cotton, cellulose acetate and silk, cellulose acetate and wool, cellulose acetate and other fibres.

While I have explained my process in detail it is to be understood that my invention is not limited to such details, that many variations may be made therein without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. Process of imparting differential lustre effects to a fabric composed in part at least of an organic derivative of cellulose comprising delustering the same, locall applying water to the fabric and then sub ecting it to a calendering treatment at a temperature above 100 C. but below the melting point of the organic derivative of cellulose whereby lustrous patterns are produced where the water has been applied.

2. Process of imparting differential lustre effects to a fabric composed in part at least of cellulose acetate, comprising delustering the same, locally applying water to the fabric and then subjecting it to a calenderin treatment at a temperature above 100 C. ut below the melting point of the cellulose acetate whereby lustrous patterns are produced where the water has been applied.

In testimony whereof, he has hereunto subscribed his name.

CAMILLE DREYFUS. 

